No matter your age, gender, or fitness level, you shouldn’t hesitate to learn some self-defense tactics that could save your life. If a dangerous individual approaches you and tries to cause you harm or appears to be an imminent threat, you may need to physically defend yourself to disable the person temporarily and get yourself out of the situation fast.
Consider Carrying Self-defense Weapons
Certain nonlethal weapons can be used to fight off an attacker and prevent any physical harm from happening to you. Some self-defense weapons are designed to blind or disorient an attacker temporarily while others may target certain vulnerable points on the body to disable the attacker long enough for you to get away safely. You’ll want to learn how to use a self-defense weapon correctly so that you don’t accidentally hurt yourself when you’re trying to use it against someone else. It’s important to check your local laws to make sure that any self-defense weapon that you carry is legal. Some examples of popular self-defense weapons include:
- Pepper spray
- Retractable batons
- Tactical pens
- Keychain knuckles
- Emergency whistles
- Tasers (sometimes referred to as stun guns)
Learn Some Martial Arts
Learning some karate, taekwondo and other martial arts maneuvers can help prepare you better to defend yourself. Martial arts instructors, like those at Alpine Jiu-Jitsu, can show you how to strike an attacker with enough force to get out of your dangerous situation quickly. You can also study with one of the jiu-jitsu trainers who will monitor your stance, body strikes, and other fighting techniques to make sure that you’re doing everything correctly.
Aim for Sensitive Body Parts
Even if you don’t take a class to learn self-defense fighting techniques, you can still save yourself from even the strongest attacker if you know where to aim your strikes on their body. Simply using your index and middle finger to poke an attacker in the eyes may be enough to ward off the assailant long enough for you to get away. The heel of your hand can be used to strike the nose. The throat is another good area to target with either a punch or by jamming your fingers into the area. Using your knee to hit an attacker between the legs can also be to your advantage.
Learn Ways to Break Free from Restraints
An attacker may try to restrain you with handcuffs, rope, or some other type of restraint, and you might be able to break free and run to safety. Many of the best strategies for breaking free from restraints involve using your body weight, nearby objects or walls, or other surfaces to break the restraints or at least loosen them so that you can wiggle out of them. You should also learn how to free yourself from zip-ties that a dangerous person might use to tie together your hands and feet.
Self-defense begins with you, and the best self-defense tactics can keep you safe from even the toughest, most dangerous individuals. The right self-defense training can help prepare you better to ward off an attacker in almost any situation.
